Home audio equipment (HAE) encompasses an expansive category of consumer electronics that encompasses speaker hardware and related devices, often integrated together in shelf stereo systems or as separate components like preamps and amplifiers.
Preamplifiers are essential components of any high-fi system, turning weak signals into powerful output and offering control and selection of audio sources as well as tone adjustments.
Speakers
Loudspeakers, commonly referred to as speakers, convert electrical audio signals into sound waves that travel out through speakers. These components form part of home stereo systems (stereos), electronic musical instruments and public address systems; speakers’ frequency-controlled sounds determine their pitch; higher frequencies produce higher-pitched tones while lower ones produce bass tones. A speaker system’s ability to reproduce these frequencies accurately will depend on factors like driver choice, enclosure configuration and electrical connections employed when designing it.
Portable and mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops come equipped with built-in speakers that can amplify music or other audio files. These small, lightweight, battery-powered speakers allow users to enjoy their music wherever they may go; larger portable speakers may even be attached to television sets to enhance movie or sports viewing experiences; tower speakers on the other hand utilize multiple speaker drivers within one enclosure in order to deliver full and rich sound in larger spaces.
Before making your purchase of speakers, try listening to them in person if possible. A knowledgeable salesperson can assist in finding a pair that meets all your audio needs; otherwise, inquire into its history and maintenance records as a means of measuring how well-kept it may have been over time.
Used audio equipment can be a great way to experience quality sound at a fraction of its price, while also supporting sustainability by prolonging product lifespan and decreasing electronic waste. Speakers that are both in good condition and compatible with your audio amplifier offer great value; just remember the necessary cables (cable for connecting, amp and power cord for powering them up)!
Subwoofers
Subwoofers are used to reproduce lower frequencies that larger tower speakers cannot match; such as kick drums, bass guitar, pipe organ and thunder/rocket explosions from music videos or movie soundtracks.
Subwoofer systems feature a speaker called a woofer housed within an enclosure specially designed to produce low frequency audio waves. A large magnet winds a voice coil which vibrates at specific frequencies to produce sound; this motion causes the woofer to move back and forth creating air pressure waves amplified by its amplifier to produce bass frequencies unobtainable by other speakers.
Low-frequency audio will sound more full and natural while also increasing overall sound quality, giving listeners the experience the artist or director intended. Furthermore, this improves home cinema systems to further increase enjoyment when watching films or listening to music.
There is an assortment of subwoofers on the market to meet all of your home entertainment and hi-fi audio needs, with sizes ranging from 8 to 21 inches available with different port configurations for optimal sound output levels. Some are ported, while others can be sealed to limit distortion while producing rich sounds more effectively.
Another key feature to look out for in a subwoofer is whether or not it front-fires or down-fires. Front-firing subs work best with home theater systems because they produce even bass distribution across the room, while down-firing designs offer greater efficiency by using smaller cabinets and designs that require less power consumption.
Amplifiers
An amplifier is at the core of any home audio system, taking low-level signals from source devices and amplifying them into audible sound for you to enjoy. From turntables and Blu-Ray players to streaming services and streaming media players, quality amps are key to producing exceptional sound from speakers in your system.
An amp will amplify low-level audio signals and deliver them to your speakers at an appropriate volume level, enabling you to enjoy music at the ideal listening volume. Amps also typically come equipped with controls to let you customize sound quality; such as gain, which defines how much of an increase the amp makes before transmitting them directly to speakers – too much gain can cause distortion, which has the effect of cutting off tops and bottoms from sound waves, leading to unpleasant distortion sounds and cuts off tops/bottoms of each signal before it reaches speakers; too much gain can also cause distortion; too much gain can increase before signal reaches speakers causing distortion by cutting off top/bottoms/waves on frequencies related to low/high audio signals being transmitted, such as from sources before entering them amplification occurs before they reach speakers.
When purchasing an amp, take into account how many channels it must support. While two-channel stereo amplifiers are most often chosen, you can find AV receivers with five to fifteen channels to offer immersive surround sound experiences.
Dependent upon the style and purpose of the amp you purchase, its power output should also be carefully considered. Some individuals prefer tube amps due to their natural ability of creating overdrive that gives music its signature gritty texture; others may opt for solid-state amps because of their superior efficiency and reliability.
When purchasing an amp, always double-check if its manufacturer provides repairs. This is particularly essential when dealing with vintage equipment; many popular brands such as Sony, Onkyo, NAD and Denon no longer provide service on older products while Audio Research, Ayre Classe McIntosh and Klipsch still do.
Streaming Devices
Streamers are used to access music from streaming services or local storage devices. They typically come equipped with WiFi or Ethernet connectivity and feature USB input for local media playback. Some also come equipped with displays showing your music library and info, as well as support for codecs like Dolby Atmos (for surround sound systems) and Dolby Vision (HDR TVs).
Some streaming devices are created by companies that specialize in high-fidelity speakers. NAD Electronics’ $350 CS1 utilizes your home network to connect Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect or Roon Server directly to an amplifier and speakers, playing high-resolution audio through analog RCA or digital RCA outputs and supporting multiroom control via Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast.
Other brands also make WiFi streaming devices that you can integrate seamlessly into any system, like the Sonos Port and Bluesound Node 2i devices from Sonos and Bluesound respectively. Both work with their respective Sonos apps for easy integration into existing Hi-Fi systems; both support audio formats including CD and FLAC files for listening directly off NAS drives or external hard drives – while both come equipped with small amounts of onboard storage for operating system updates and apps as well as expanding memory with memory card readers for even further storage expansion.
Most receivers, integrated amps and preamps built since Miles went electric can be upgraded to streaming with the aid of a simple device connecting to an unused stereo analog input. Most devices typically costing less than $30 will include all cables needed to get streaming up and running quickly; alternatively the $129 iFi Zen Blue adds technologies to improve Bluetooth audio quality further.
Home Theater
When building a home theater, acoustics should be your top priority. What type of flooring do you have, and is any acoustic treatment installed? Additionally, room dimensions and layout play an integral role – will the system reside in its own dedicated media room, or will it share space with multiple purposes like a multi-use family room?
Home theater systems typically consist of a flat-panel TV or projector with video screen, surround-sound speaker system, HD audio AV receiver and DVD or Blu-ray player; in some cases a PC or HTPC with media center software application acts as its primary source for movie and music media.
Home theater systems come in all sorts of configurations and prices to fit every budget. Soundbars offer the cheapest solution, offering everything from passive models that don’t include any form of amplification up to powered models with Dolby Atmos immersive audio capability. Surround-sound speakers also come in all forms from compact bookshelf models that fit on TV stands or media shelves all the way up to wall or ceiling-mounted models – whatever suits you best!
Subwoofers add full bass sound, giving the sensation of explosions and car chases occurring right in your living room. A good rule of thumb when selecting a subwoofer size for media rooms should be to select one sized according to maximum seating capacity; too large of an amplifier may lead to distortion and could even overload it completely.
Your speakers must all connect to an AV receiver, which serves as the center of a home-theater system. Depending on the system you’re building, an entry-level or high-end DAC, processor and streamer could serve this role; to maximize sound quality it’s advised that cables with matching colors on connector ends be used and that cable length be kept to a minimum.